Disney's Magical Express/RAC - What "Participating Airline" Really Means!

[YayDisney!]

Originally Posted by goofy4tink

There is no debate on this one.....RAC (remote airline checkin) is not really part of DME. You can use the RAC system if you take the DME bus to the airport, or if you take a cab or a towncar. The only stipulation is that you are flying on a 'participating airline'. Those are...
Airtran, Alaska, American, Continental, Delta, Jetblue, Northwest, United, USAir. If you are flying home on one of those airlines, you can check your luggage right at the resort and then go about your last day. You have to have the luggage checkin done no less than three hours before flight time....so if you have an 8am flight, you won't be able to use it. The RAC counters open at 5am, then close about 1pmish.

Thanks so much for the good news goofy4tink! We have a 10:30am return flight so as long I as get up very early I will check in with luggage at our resort.

[Preds]

Ive searched the last 10 pages or so of this thread but haven't found the answer to a couple of my questions.

1. We arrive at MCO near midnight. In light of that are we better off picking up our luggage and then heading to the DME area (so that we're not up till 3 or 4am waiting for it to be delivered to our room)?

2. We depart MCO in the wee hours of the morning at 6:30am. From what I've seen, we will be given a pickup time of 3:30am! The question is the RAC hours are 5am-1pm with checkin-in no earlier than 12 hours, or later than 3 hours before our flight. I'm guessing since we have a 6:30am flight we won't be able to use RAC? I think we may end up pulling an all nighter on this one LOL, since EPCOT has EMH on Nov 28th (our last night).

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by Preds

Ive searched the last 10 pages or so of this thread but haven't found the answer to a couple of my questions.

1. We arrive at MCO near midnight. In light of that are we better off picking up our luggage and then heading to the DME area (so that we're not up till 3 or 4am waiting for it to be delivered to our room)?

It all depends on your preferences.

My preference would be to get to my room and get to sleep ASAP. So what I would do is let DME handle my luggage, request (at my resort) to have my DME bags held 'til morning, and use my smartly-packed carry-on to get me through the night. This way, I avoid having to wait at baggage claim when I'd rather be on the bus heading towards my BED, but I also avoid a knock at the door at 4:00 a.m.

Originally Posted by Preds

2. We depart MCO in the wee hours of the morning at 6:30am. From what I've seen, we will be given a pickup time of 3:30am! The question is the RAC hours are 5am-1pm with checkin-in no earlier than 12 hours, or later than 3 hours before our flight. I'm guessing since we have a 6:30am flight we won't be able to use RAC? I think we may end up pulling an all nighter on this one LOL, since EPCOT has EMH on Nov 28th (our last night).

You're correct ... due to your flight departure time, you are ineligible to use RAC this time around.

[clkelley]

I agree with Cleve, pack a carryon with what you need to go to bed and get up the next morning, then let DME handle your checked bags and let them deliver the next day after you've gone.

If you decide to claim your own bags, and don't have that carryon, what happens if they never made your flight?? Then you are having to file a claim at the airport while you are tired, and will be extremely delayed getting to bed. If you put the yellow tags on and head straight for the bus Disney takes care of chasing down your bags for you while you are sleeping and off at the parks.

[robinbutterfly]

So what happens if our bag weighs more then 50 pounds? I am confused as to what happens.

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by robinbutterfly

So what happens if our bag weighs more then 50 pounds? I am confused as to what happens.

I don't know if this is a continuation from another post or not, so forgive me for my "overkill" with the answer ....

So let's say you leave home with a bag that weighs more than 50 pounds. If your airline accepts it and flies it to Orlando, then DME will deliver it to your room for you. It makes no difference whether or not your airline charged you extra for the weight ... the absolute rule is that if your airline flies it to MCO and if you have a DME tag on it, DME will deliver it to your room, no exceptions.

For the way home, it works differently. Resort Airline Check-in (RAC) is the service in your resort's lobby that you can use to check-in for your flight and check your luggage through to your final destination. Unfortunately, RAC can't handle overweight bags. If your bag weighs more than your airline's limit, RAC can't accept it. The RAC desk has no way to handle a payment from you on behalf of the airline. You'd have no choice but to bring that bag to the airport with you and bring it to your airline. If you are taking a DME bus back to the airport, the driver will be happy to stow the bag in the bus cargo hold, and you'll get it right back as soon as youget off the bus at the airport.

I hope this answers your question.

[robinbutterfly]

Originally Posted by CleveRocks

I don't know if this is a continuation from another post or not, so forgive me for my "overkill" with the answer ....

So let's say you leave home with a bag that weighs more than 50 pounds. If your airline accepts it and flies it to Orlando, then DME will deliver it to your room for you. It makes no difference whether or not your airline charged you extra for the weight ... the absolute rule is that if your airline flies it to MCO and if you have a DME tag on it, DME will deliver it to your room, no exceptions.

For the way home, it works differently. Resort Airline Check-in (RAC) is the service in your resort's lobby that you can use to check-in for your flight and check your luggage through to your final destination. Unfortunately, RAC can't handle overweight bags. If your bag weighs more than your airline's limit, RAC can't accept it. The RAC desk has no way to handle a payment from you on behalf of the airline. You'd have no choice but to bring that bag to the airport with you and bring it to your airline. If you are taking a DME bus back to the airport, the driver will be happy to stow the bag in the bus cargo hold, and you'll get it right back as soon as youget off the bus at the airport.

I hope this answers your question.

Thank you... it does answer it perfectly. But I have one follow up question. :-)
So I am flying with Southwest, so I have to bring my bag with me to the airport anyway, right?

THANKS!

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by robinbutterfly

Thank you... it does answer it perfectly. But I have one follow up question. :-)
So I am flying with Southwest, so I have to bring my bag with me to the airport anyway, right?

THANKS!

Correct. On the way from your resort back to the airport at the end of your trip, you have no choice but to take your bags with you, because Southwest is NOT a participating airline in the Resort Airline Check-in service. So if your bag is overweight, your experience at the Orlando airport will be no different than at any other airport.

But, as I said in the earlier post, on your way from home to Disney World, DIsney's Magical Express will deliver your overweight bag to your resort at no extra charge from Disney itself.

[noname70]

I will be arriving via DME at POFQ late ( around 10:00pm). We plan packing overnight stuff in our carry on bags and putting the little ones straight to bed.

1. Do we have to notify the desk or bell services to not deliver our bags until morning so they don't wake us at 1:00am?

2. We plan on leaving for MK early so at what time can we have our bags delivered in the next morning?

[goofy4tink]

I would mention you want the bags held until the morning when you checkin. You can have the bags delivered whenever you want. You could always swing by luggage assistence, when checking in, and ask them how early they can get your bags to you. Just let them know what time you want the bags.

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by noname70

I will be arriving via DME at POFQ late ( around 10:00pm). We plan packing overnight stuff in our carry on bags and putting the little ones straight to bed.

1. Do we have to notify the desk or bell services to not deliver our bags until morning so they don't wake us at 1:00am?

2. We plan on leaving for MK early so at what time can we have our bags delivered in the next morning?

I did exactly what you say you're going to do. Landed at 10:00 p.m., went right to POFQ to put the 2 little ones to bed. Called for the bags at 6:30 a.m. and Bell Services was at my dor 5 minutes later.

Only difference ... I FORGOT to ask to have the bags held 'til morning. Checked in at 11 p.m. (56 minutes from exiting plane to being dropped off at POFQ). The phone rang at 1:16 a.m. (I'll never forget what the clock looked like!). It was Bell Services asking if we wanted the bags now or later. "Um, later please." So the only glitch was MINE, not theirs. But it all worked out great.

[Jenwdwfan]

So just to be sure I understand RAC - I have a flight at 8:30am, so I should be ok checking in my bag at 5am and ME will pick me up around 5:30am. Is that correct?

Many thanks in advance for your answers!

Jen

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by Jenwdwfan

So just to be sure I understand RAC - I have a flight at 8:30am, so I should be ok checking in my bag at 5am and ME will pick me up around 5:30am. Is that correct?

Many thanks in advance for your answers!

Jen

Yep, that's right...as long as you are flying out on a participating airline. Be right at the RAC counter at 5 am....you have to have completed the entire checkin process by that 3 hr mark. If you're first in line that shouldn't be an issue.

[jeanylaser]

I still confused! My mom and I are going to disney next year for my birthday! We are flying Jet Blue! and It is the Animal Kingdom Lodge is in the list of the DME! It's Jet Blue is in the list of all of airlines?

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally Posted by jeanylaser

I still confused! My mom and I are going to disney next year for my birthday! We are flying Jet Blue! and It is the Contemporary Resort is in the list of the DME! It's Jet Blue is in the list of all of airlines?

Please read the first post of this thread.